In the Face of Tragedy

In the Face of Tragedy

In the aftermath of the shooting in Arlington, VA on June 14th we were met with images of horror as we watched members of Congress, staff, and Capitol Police be removed from the field with gun shot wounds. The members and staff present, and those not, who weren’t physically wounded now face the emotional trauma of seeing and hearing about their colleagues surviving this ordeal.

We also watched amazing acts of heroism and unity from fellow congressmen, and on the House floor. Members of Congress came together, Democrat and Republican, putting politics aside to stand together in the face of tragedy.

That is what we do in this country. And we don’t have to wait for tragedy to do it. The 2016 election has risen the temperature of partisan politics to a fever pitch, and we saw a terrible result of that on June 14th.

Indivisible rose out of the results of the election – to give constituents a voice in Congress; to empower you to make a difference. But we also have a tremendous responsibility, and that is to educate and unite our friends and families, neighbors and colleagues.

We can all agree that the 2016 election divided us immensely, and we can debate that this division led to the election of President Trump. If we hope to succeed in the future, if our push for town halls, our relentless phone calls and office visits and protests are not to be in vain, then ultimately we have to find a way to come together – to reach across the aisle and connect with those we lost touch with because of different political views. We can’t expand our base in an echo chamber. And we can’t unite our country if we continue to retreat into separate corners.

The shooting on June 14th was not the fault of any political party; any politician. The blame lies squarely at the feet of the shooter. Nevertheless, we can all use this tragedy as a turning point to lower the rhetoric, and to focus our attention on the issues, and the laws, not our lawmakers.

If someone you know has mentioned violence toward a lawmaker, or anyone else, or you have witnessed behavior or threatening statements that are concerning to you, please report them to the police.